Underground
by AHS
Summary: After Michael Corner makes an huge assumption about their relationship, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks find it a topic of discussion whilst riding home on the Underground. NT&RL, one-shot, OotP spoilers.


Title : Underground  
  
Author : Allie Stillwell [under the nom de plume Nymphie Lupin]  
  
Rating : PG for brief snogging  
  
Genre : Romance  
  
Summary : After Michael Corner makes an huge assumption about their relationship, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks find it a topic of discussion whilst riding home on the Underground. NT&RL, one-shot, OotP spoilers.  
  
Disclaimer : I claim no part in creating Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. They belong to J.K. Rowling, of course, as does the entire Harry Potter universe. Please don't sue me o_o.  
  
Notes : Most of this was originally a post for one of my role-playing groups, Never and Always... but I enjoyed it so much, I figured it'd be a nice one-shot. At the request of one of my reviewers, I might do a sequel later, so keep a look-out for it or leave a comment if you want me to eMail you when I post it. As always, you guys can IM me at simply Tonks.  
  
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Tonks and Lupin were silent as they walked down the street and to the brick wall. Tonks, having already pulled her wand out, briskly tapped the wall and stood by looking at it as the bricks adjusted themselves to allow the two of them through. Slipping her wand back into her purse, she weaved her arm through Lupin's and walked through the archway, getting to the back door of the Leaky Cauldron as the last brick quickly took its place with the others in the once again full wall. As they walked through the tavern, Tom looked up.  
  
'Come by again, Tonks,' he said. 'Perhaps another time when Remus is feeling a bit better.'  
  
'It's a date, Tom,' she turned and said with a smile as Lupin walked out of the front door. She quickly followed him and closed the door behind them.  
  
The two of them walked along in silence, Tonks with her arms crossed over her chest, as they headed towards the Charing Cross station. They were joined by large groups of Muggles as they descended into the Underground station as many were heading back to their places of work after having lunch. Tonks quickly realised that she hadn't reverted her appearance as normal business people started to give her reproachful stares. She blushed and found herself grasping on to Lupin, who mixed in very nicely with the business Muggles. When they reached the ticket queues, Tonks quickly broke away from him and found a teller who had pleasantly green hair.  
  
'Hullo, welcome to Charing Cross station,' she said without looking up at Tonks. 'How may I help you?'  
  
'Two one-way tickets to Morden station on the Northern line,' Tonks said, looking around at the Muggles before digging in her purse for English pounds.  
  
'That will be £5.60,' the woman said in a loud voice as the Tube tickets squirted out of the machine. She took Tonks's money and pushed two tickets to Tonks, never looking up throughout the exchange. 'Next!'  
  
Blinking, Tonks slowly took the tickets and walked backwards to Lupin, turning around just in time to smash into his chest. She looked up at him madly, but he looked down at her as though he was about to laugh.  
  
'That Muggle was horrendous!' she said in a soft albeit mad voice.  
  
He bent down to speak into her ear. 'That's why I told you to have a different disguise. People will think that you behave like that young lady.' Tonks nodded slowly before handing Lupin his ticket. They walked over to the turnstile and put their tickets through the machine, walking through as the half of the ticket came through the other side for each of them to grab. They were tossled by Muggles as they walked down the corridors to the correct platform. Once there, Tonks looked up at the schedule display and sighed before slumping down on a bench onto which Lupin had already sat down. He looked over at her.  
  
'Sixteen minutes until the next train,' she said. 'I guess at midday there aren't as many people going to the suburbs.'  
  
Sure enough, as the trains going further into town came and went, only one person besides the two of them remained on the platform. They were silent for a little while before another train came with a great huff of air, squeeling to a stop. The man who stood a little bit away from them walked over to the train with his nose still deep in the newspaper. After he left, the only sounds remaining were those of the cola machine humming and the occasional sound of a train pulling up to the other platforms. Tonks jumped when Lupin's hand fell over hers. She looked up at him with a pensive look, but the look he gave back was a very serious one.  
  
'Tonks,' he said softly to her. 'About what Michael Corner said today...'  
  
'Michael doesn't know much,' Tonks said, offering a weak smile. 'I mean, he knows you, but I think the only time that he ever saw me was when we were on the platform waiting for Harry at the end of his fifth year. How he could think we're married...'  
  
'No, I was just wondering something,' he said, weaving his fingers in hers. 'Why do you even bother spending as much time with me as you do? You're thirteen years younger than me.'  
  
'Since when does it matter?' Tonks said sharply, but her look quickly softened as she continued in a strained voice. 'You're the only one who understands.'  
  
Lupin felt as though his heart was breaking as her eyes began to gleam with unshed tears. A light began to shine from the tunnel as the train began to come to the platform. The forced air from its entry made Tonks's skirt flutter even though it was held down by both of her hands and one of Lupin's.  
  
'That's our train, Tonks,' he said to her.  
  
They both stood up and walked to the train as the doors hissed open. Although Lupin wanted to talk to her more, when they got into the train, both sitting down, he noticed that someone else was in the car with them. Tonks was trying with all of her might not to cry, gnawing on her lip like a bad habit. She sniffled every now and then, each sniffle stabbing Lupin. This was the second time today that he had put her on the verge of tears and he regretted it every second.  
  
They were all the way to Stockwell before the other passenger got off to connect on the Victoria line. As soon as the woman got off, Lupin began to reach for her hand again, but she pulled it away again and instead laid her head on his shoulder.  
  
'I knew Sirius for my entire life. From the day that I was born, he was always there. He would... come home... and visit with Mum... and he would always bring me something from Hogsmeade that he picked up on his outings during school,' she sadly smiled. 'In later years, he would send me stuff in secret when I knew that he wasn't supposed to be in Hogsmeade. He told me about... becoming an Animagus in his later years at school and told me that if I told anyone, he would fix me up with a right good hex. But he was my favourite, I wouldn't have told a soul. Not even after he went to Azkaban.'  
  
Lupin hesitated before tipping his head and laying it on top of hers. She raised a hand up and began playing with a loose string hanging from his sweater.  
  
'After he went to live with the Potters, he would always invite me over to play with the four of you... though, now that I think about it, it must have been dreadfully dull for you all to play my silly 4-year-old games,' she laughed a bit before her face fell again and a tear rolled down her cheek. 'Even when you were all busy with the first Order, he still found time for me. He would always come visit for holidays and on weekends... but then, that Halloween, he didn't come home. You all just... disappeared.'  
  
It was silent for a moment as Tonks collected herself.  
  
'It was wonderful when Dumbledore came to my Auror training and told me that you had returned to London to accept that position at Hogwarts. A lot of the other Aurors-in-training really bothered me about my connections to Sirius, so having at least that little point of light meant a lot. To me, you were "The Man Who Lived,''' she said, clearing her throat. 'When you moved out to Kent, that was even more exciting. Then finding out that Sirius was innocent, that I had managed to pass my Auror exams... wonderful. But things aren't meant to last now, are they?'  
  
Tonks nuzzled up to Lupin more.  
  
'It was just... really nice to have you stay around after Sirius died,' she murmured to him as she tipped up her head to look at him. As she spoke again, he felt her breath on his cheek. 'That really meant a lot to me, and it still does. That's why I spend all of my time with you. You're the only one who really means anything to me anymore.'  
  
Slowly, he leaned his head over, their lips meeting and sharing a soft kiss followed swiftly by another, their feelings pouring out.  
  
'We have now entered Morden station. This is the end of the line and this train will be returning to the inner city...' the intercom voice droned on, the snogging passengers blissfully ignorant. 


End file.
